Monday, October 11, 2010

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan said today that the Lok Satta has to emerge as an alternative to traditional parties. which have collapsed in fulfilling people’s dreams and aspirations. “Most politicians are concerned about their future and their children’s future and not of the country and the people. Bereft of a lofty purpose and sense of direction, they are indulging in politics of negativism and promoting hatred and division in society. The people and the economy have ceased to be their concern except on the eve of elections. In contrast, the Lok Satta is committed to providing a platform for all those interested in building the future of the country.”

Addressing a ‘Leadership summit’ organized on the party’s fourth anniversary, Dr. JP exposed how different political parties have been derailing growth and prosperity with their hypocritical policies. All parties claim to be pro-agriculture and pro-farmer but their actions belie them. Warehouses in the country are overflowing with 50 million tons of food grains, some of it rotting, while a buffer stock of 16 million tons will do. Thanks to abundant rains, the country is about to reap a bumper harvest. Yet the Government of India dithers on permitting exports and ensuring a remunerative price to the farmer. It permits duty-free import of palm oil much to the detriment of palm growers in States like Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh, the Government ignores projects which yield immediate results but takes up unviable projects for reasons apparent to every one. It pays Rs.1000 crore to a contractor in the name of drawing up a detailed project report for an unviable, gigantic lift irrigation project, even though not a sod of earth has been turned up or an acre of land irrigated. Instead of bringing the nearby Krishna waters to meet the drinking water needs of Hyderabad, the Government chooses to bring the Godavari waters, unmindful of the availability and reliability of water and the astronomical cost. People devastated by the 2009 floods in River Krishna continue to live in make-shift camps even as the bunds of the Krishna and its tributaries remain vulnerable.

With agriculture becoming a losing proportion, there is an exodus of the rural youth into urban areas. Yet the Government would not build small towns to serve as hubs of economic activity and promote livelihood opportunities.

Dr. JP said that both ruling and opposition parties have been pursuing policies that serve their own ends and not of the people. The Andhra Pradesh Government plans to promote 50,000 mw of thermal power generation while a fraction of it will suffice to meet the State’s needs. “Apparently, it is interested in generating illegal money and not power.”

Dr. JP said that power generation, industrialization and mining are all necessary if the country has to progress and provide employment opportunities to millions of youth. “We can accomplish all these through rational and transparent policies that preempt corruption, safeguard interests of farmers parting with land, and do not harm the environment. Yet, most political parties are indulging in negativism to serve their immediate ends and not the country’s interests.”

Dr. JP said that political parties have become stumbling blocks to peace, growth and prosperity by fanning agitations based on region and religion, language and caste, and by indulging in corruption.

The Lok Satta Party faces a tough task as even the collapsing traditional parties do not make way for it easily Yet, it will strive to serve as a platform to all who want to usher in new politics for the new generation.

Dr. JP reiterated his demand for the constitution of an Anti Corruption Commission to ensure sure and swift punishment to the guilty including forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth, and a National Judicial Commission to induct the best and the brightest into the judiciary and weed out the corrupt and the incompetent from it. He demanded an end to corruption- prone centralization of power and people’s empowerment with devolution of powers, personnel and resources on local governments.

In a political resolution, the Lok Satta Party appealed to all like-minded forces to join it in building an alternative to traditional parties to translate people’s desire for change into a reality. Commitment to rational and ethical politics, nationalism, secularism and democracy would be the criterion for working together.

In another resolution, the party called upon all sections of people transcending political affiliations to mount an all-out war on corruption. They should also launch local movements seeking restriction of liquor consumption. The party pledged itself to fight on people’s issues in select urban and rural areas.

Party A.P Working President D.V.V.S Varma introduced the resolutions and Pary leaders Y.D Rama Rao, Katari Srinivasa Rao, V.Lakshman Balaji, V.Vijayender Reddy, P.Ravimaruth lead the three groups those discussed on the resolutions. Lok Satta representatives from other states Rama Lakshmi, Sankar Prasad, Madhavan and Peope for Lok Satta representatives from abroad Putta Madhu, Dwaraka, Bharat and Raju conveyed their greetings on the dias.